Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Dissecting Bloodlines Introduction

I've been toying for quite some time with the story behind Bloodhunt. I'm not sure if it has to be a sequel, a prequel or just a remake of the original Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines story. There's a bunch of good reasons for each one: a sequel would portrait LA as chaotic city without a Prince, in a pulsating war between all sects taking control over the city; a prequel would show the Anarch Free States and how Lacroix became the Prince of Los Angeles; and of course, a remake would add deeper and finer details to the wonderful story of Bloodlines. For now, since I'm still in preproduction, I'll start with the remake approach and I've decided to start by the very beginning of it all: the introduction cutscene.

In the video we can see there's a big problem with cameras, physics and the overall scripting. However, the dialog and the cinematographic action is subleme. I've taken the liberty to make a small transcription of the dialogs, with just some minor adjustments.

SCENE 1: WELCOME TO THE NIGHT

INTERIOR - MOTEL ROOM

Nameless Sire: I want to show you something.

(Your Sire seduces you into the bed and turns you into a vampire)

Player: (Scream)

(Fade to black)

(Two unknown vampires burst into the room, instantly attacking you and your sire with wooden stakes in the chest)

INTERIOR - ABANDONED THEATRE

Prince Lacroix:Good evening. My fellow Kindred, my apologies for disrupting any business or interfering with prior engagements you may have had this evening.

It's unfortunate that the affair that gathers us together tonight is a troubling one.

We are here because the laws that bind our society, the laws that are the fabric of our existence, have been broken.

(Whispers between Nines Rodriguez and Skelter)

Price Lacroix: As Prince, I am within my right to grant or deny the Kindred of this city the privilige of siring.

Many of you have come to me seeking permission, and I have endorsed some of these requests.

However, the accused that sits before you tonight was not refused permission. Indeed, my permission was never sought at all.

They were caught shortly after the Embrace of this childe.

It pains me to announce the sentence, as up to tonight I considered the accused a loyal and upstanding member of our organization.

But as some of you may know, the penalty of this transgression is the Final Death.

Know that I am no more a judicator than I am a servant to the law that governs us all.

Let tonight's proceedings serve as a reminder to our community that we must adhere to the code that binds our society, lest we endanger all of our blood.

Prince Lacroix(whispering to your Sire): Forgive me.

Prince Lacroix:Let the penalty commence.

(The sheriff decapitates your Sire with a big broad sword)

Prince Lacroix: Which leads to the fate of the ill-begotten progeny.

Without a sire, most childe are doomed to walk the earth never knowing their place, their responsability, and most importantly, the laws they must obey. Therefore, I have decided that...

Nines Rodriguez: This is bullshit!

Prince Lacroix: If Mr. Rodriguez would let me finish. I have decided to let this Kindred live. They shall be instructed in the ways of our kind and be granted the same rights.

Let no one say I am unsympathetic to the plights and causes of this community.

I thank you all for attending these proceedings, and I hope their significance is not lost. Good evening.

(Fade to black)

INTERIOR - ABANDONED THEATRE BACKSTAGE

Prince Lacroix (speaking to the Player): Your Sire... Tragic. My apologies. But you see there is a strict code of conduct that all of us must... must... adhere to if we wish to survive.

Allowing you to live makes me directly responsible for your subsequent behaviour. So... what I'm offering is not generosity, but the opportunity to trascend the fate woven by your sire.

This is your trial. You will be brought to Santa Monica. There, you will meet an agent by the name of Mercurio. He will provide the details of your labor.

I have shown you great clemency. Prove it was more than a wasted gesture, fledgling. Dont come back... until you do. Good evening.

As metioned before, the dialog in the script is just great. It captures the essence of Prince Lacroix while giving a first hint of the Camarilla diplomatic struggles for keeping the balance of power in LA (which was not so long ago the capital of the Anarch Free States).

6 comments:

Not to impose on your work, but i think a sequel or prequel would be the coolest thing, imagine being the sire for the character from Bloodlines, the end (your death) would be pretty anti-climatic but it would also add a lot to the continuity. what ever you decide to go with i'm sure will be awesome anyway :)

Yes, that's exactly my backstory for Bloodhunt. The story of your sire, explaining why Lacroix kills you so quickly even though you helped him become the Prince of Los Angeles. However, my intention is not to discard the prequel or sequel in favor of the remake. It's just a matter of where do I start first. Since I'm in preproduction, where I just intend to show a slice of what will be the game, I will begin with the fastest option which is the remake. Writing the prequel story involves more steps than just rewriting the remake story. But I'll do both, each at a time :D

I will release the first playable version in the following weeks (probably during april). However, it's not even close from being a beta. It's just a preproduction proof of concept and still lacks a ton of content, but I hope it helps capturing the vibe of the game and the core gameplay mechanics. And then I will iterate releasing a new versions each month, adding more content and tweaking gameplay based on your feedback.